Highlights 1984
Frankie Goes To Hollywood's first three singles reach No. 1s - the first act to achieve this feat in 21 years… Relax is the biggest chart single of the year… Wham! make it big with a brace of chart toppers… Band Aid's charity single makes history as the biggest selling single to date… Female artists Alison Moyet and Sade enjoy huge album sales… Prince breaks through in the UK…
Biggest Chart Single
RELAX
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Method: ban a sexually-charged electronic dance anthem produced by maestro Trevor Horn and plaster the title over T-shirts. Result: one of the UK's biggest selling singles of all time. See Biggest Chart Singles
Biggest Chart Act
FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
The quintet were only the second act during The Golden Years to secure three No. 1s in a calendar year (the other was Blondie in 1980). See Biggest Chart Artists
NME Song of the Year
LOVE WARS
Womack And Womack
A dance track was a surprising choice as the best song of the year by the pundits at the UK's most influential music paper but it was totally justified. See WOW's Top Singles for 1984
Brit for Best Single
RELAX
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
The ban was long forgotten when it was time for BPI to bestow its honour for best single of the year – the record-breaking single virtually chose itself. See WOW's Top Singles for 1984
WOW's Top Single of 1984
HEAVEN KNOWS I'M MISERABLE NOW
The Smiths
In a vintage year for well-written and polished pop, we surprised ourselves by choosing an indie anthem that sums up one of the genre's best-ever groups. See WOW's Top Singles for 1984
Most Played Song on the Radio†
CARELESS WHISPER
George Michael
This classy ballad will forever be the musical epitaph for a talent we tragically lost in 2016. This must be one of the most played 80s songs on the radio even today. See WOW's Top Singles for 1984
† The disc received the Ivor Novello award for most performed song of 1984